THIRTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XII 621 



given certainly indicate that we need have no fear of over-production and 

 on the contrary show that we need to make a change in our system of 

 farming, coming gradually to the situation to be met, rather than waiting 

 to the last moment and then m.ake an abrupt change. 



Business men look ahead for several years in conducting their busi- 

 ness, some making it such a study that they have no time to give to 

 actual work and leave that part to hired labor. Now if business men can 

 make a success by devoting their whole time to the planning of their 

 business and hiring all the work carried on, why cannot a farmer well 

 afford to spend more time than he does in managing his farm work. Suc- 

 cessful farming requires a man who has a mind large enough for doing 

 more than one thing at a time. Farming cannot be considered as a con- 

 tinual routine of sowing and reaping. 



The merchant has the average farmer bested in carrying on his work 

 in that he keeps some definite system of accounts. He can, by referring 

 to his books, tell just how his business stands, how much has been his 

 gains and losses for past years and just where they were made. Right 

 here is where his success lies, for he can tell on what line of goods his 

 gains or losses were made and profit by them. Farmers, the same as mer- 

 chants, make mistakes and if they do not'know where these mistakes are, 

 and profit by them, that big slice of profit will be taken off every year. 



When a merchant sees that a certain line of goods is being carried by 

 him at a loss, he immediately changes it, and when he is introducing a 

 new line he keeps careful v/atch to determine its success. Therefore we 

 farmers need to get these business methods at work on the farm, and 

 when we find losses creeping in, get at the causes and remedy them. 



For instance, if our cropping system is gradually decreasing the fertil- 

 ity of the soil, we need to find it out and change cur methods and work 

 for uniform yields rather than have a decrease. 



Grain farmers have found in the last few years that they are rapidly 

 losing out as far as fertility goes for they have been unable to get a good 

 stand of clover. As a consequence they are keeping more live stock and 

 sell only the finished product from the farm. 



In selling 100 bushels of corn there is 100 pounds of nitrogen and 17 

 pounds of phosphorus taken off the farm, while in selling 1,000 pounds of 

 fat cattle only 25 pounds of nitrogen and 7 pounds of phosphorus is re- 

 moved. These are just a few figures which show the benefit from feeding 

 the grain on the farm. From a fertility standpoint, it wouldn't take 

 a business man long to decide between grain and live stock farming. 



The farmer of today has a large capital invested, especially if he is 

 farming his own land, therefore, he, as well as other business men, should 

 have a method of telling just how his work stands. 



How many farmers make good interest in their investment? For ex- 

 ample take a man who owns 160 acres of Iowa land: 



Value of land at $125 per acre $20,000 



Value of live stock on same 1,900 



Value of machinery 630 



Total capital invested $22,530 



